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Photo Credit: Ze Nahla

Health concerns over the consumption of seafood from the Gulf region has led the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) to “restrict fishing for a minimum of ten days in federal waters most affected by the BP oil spill.” The Gulf of Mexico is one of America’s most prolific fishing grounds.  Within Louisiana alone, fishing is a 2.4 billion dollar industry.  Though the NOAA ban is acting as a safety net for consumers, the closure could have severe economic impacts on the entire region.

Though Gulf fishermen are temporarily out of work, some boats have been hired to assist in the clean-up process.  Though this is stated as a precautionary closing, local fishermen are nervous that the spill and closure may taint the image of the gulf’s quality seafood.  If conditions continue to worsen, NOAA may be forced to declare the area as a fisheries disaster which would allow for an influx of federal funding helping cull the impacted industry.

With over 210,000 gallons of crude oil leaking into the Gulf every day, cleanup crews are facing an uphill battle.  Fourteen days after the initial explosion, the oil slick continues to grow, all the while moving closer to environmentally sensitive habitats along the Louisiana coast.  Though it may be to late to completely avoid environmental catastrophe, President Obama has been very clear in his message to polluters British Petroleum.  Stating, “BP is ultimately responsible under the law for paying the costs of response and clean-up operations.”

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